DRINK NEHI by Arlene StangerFirst Place Winner(Click on image to see larger view)

Curator Paul Kopeikin says, "It was told to me long ago when I opened a gallery that basically everyone responds to one of two things; beauty or nostalgia. This image manages to convey both."

Kopeikin asks, " What is it about this subject that you found interesting?

Stanger says, "There are some places I drive by that catch my eye and make me immediately turn around. One such place was the Classical Gas Museum on the “low road” between Santa Fe and Taos, NM. It’s an amazing two acre parcel that houses gas station memorabilia outside as well as inside a recreated gas station building.

It’s a place where one can easily spend hours taking images of gas pumps, vintage signs, neon signs, license plates, old maps and too many other things to mention. Interesting photo opportunities exist everywhere.

Kopeikin asks, "What was around the cropping you decided upon and why did you leave that information out?

Stanger says, "I compose almost all of my images in camera and do very little cropping of the final product. In most cases I feel that if I take time to find a composition that pleases me why would I want to crop anything out? While there were more signs and other items that could have been included the “Drink Nehi” image, I was drawn to the cluster of the smooth curved glass bottles which served as an anchor and a contrast to the various sizes and shapes of the linear signs. I feel that the square format, which I use quite often, also provides contrast and interest to the image. This image was taken with an iPhone using an app that gives me this format. I also enjoy taking images with a Holga, a medium format film camera that also gives me this format."

When I saw the “Vernacular” theme of your exhibit, all of the images I took on that trip came immediately to mind. The era of Route 66 evokes a time of family traveling with cheap gas stopping at motels and cafes , drinking Cokes and playing the juke box. Many of those are now a thing in the past, but the memory of them brings everyone of a certain age right back to that point in time."

My images have been juried into exhibits in Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, California, Texas and Germany. I have been published in four issues of Black & White magazine.

My images have been juried into exhibits in Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, California, Texas and Germany.

Some of the highlights are:Winner in the Nature/Flower category of the 7th Edition of the Julia Margaret CameronAward exhibited in Berlin, Germany 2016

Finalists in the Fine Art and Landscape categories of the 8th Edition of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award

Two nominations in the 10th Annual Black & White Spider Awards 2015

Three nominations and an Honorable Mention in the 9th Annual Black & White Spider Awards 2014